Hong Nampyo, Changwon Special City Mayor, "Not All Offers and Requests for Public Office Acceptance Are True"

Refutation of Some Media Reports on Candidate Bribery During Election

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, is expressing his position regarding the controversy during the local elections last June. / Photo by Ryeong Lee ryeong@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters reporters Song Jong-gu and Lee Se-ryeong] “I have never proposed a public office nor accepted a demand for a public office.”

Hong Nam-pyo, mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, firmly denied allegations of violating the Public Official Election Act that recently surfaced.

Some media outlets raised suspicions that Mayor Hong promised a public office and bribed competing candidates during the People Power Party primary for the June 1 local elections.

On the 4th, Mayor Hong held a press conference at Changwon City Hall and stated that these claims are not true.

He said, “I regret that baseless suspicions are being recklessly raised by some media,” and added, “I never proposed a public office to anyone during the election process, and after winning, I politely declined any demands for public office from specific individuals.”

Mayor Hong also addressed meetings with the “specific individual” mentioned in the media.

He explained, “During the election process, I was introduced to and met several people, but I never initiated a meeting with any specific individual. Before and after the election, I met with several people two or three times each, and I met one-on-one only once after the election.”

Regarding the recording at the meeting with the specific individual, he emphasized, “I absolutely do not record conversations. From the beginning, I had no intention of giving a position, and I can confidently say I did not make any verbal mistakes at that meeting.”

On that day, Mayor Hong said, “As the saying goes, justice will prevail; I think if we wait a little longer, the conclusion will come.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.